Seven months after Pruthvi Ambaar’s first cop drama Matsyagandha came out, the makers finally managed to get the film an OTT deal, but on the day it was set to drop on the platform, it didn’t. Matsyagandha was supposed to be on Cinebazzar OTT on September 20, but when the time came for the film to be available, there was a hitch.

Matsyagandha OTT release delayed

According to sources at Cinebazzar OTT, the streamer was alerted to piracy sites being primed for the imminent release of Matsyagandha. To tackle this, it was decided to upload an altered version of the film, without the climax, and check if it would make its way to the piracy sites and it did. Considering that Matsyagandha had received decent feedback, although it didn’t do well in theatres, its OTT outing is much anticipated. So, in a bid to control the situation, the streamer decided to hold back the release for a few days.

“Cinebazzar currently operates on TVOD (Transactional video on demand or rental), so, if any film makes its way to piracy sites, it impacts us negatively. We are trying to ensure that the film gets its due and are hopeful of finding a solution to release Matsyagandha shortly,” says Bhaskar R of Cinebazzar OTT. September 27 is the next date he’s fixed for the film.

Piracy, both during theatrical and OTT releases have been a major bane for Kannada cinema, with several smaller films impacted when crystal clear prints get leaked before the India release, as some streamers make the movies available to audiences in other markets earlier.

Devaraj Poojary’s film, meanwhile, had Pruthvi as a cop in a fishing village, where the occasional tiff between rival fishing groups is the only major development. Stuck with no prospect of making a splash in his career, he then stumbles upon a major racket that could potentially change his life. However, when the goods he busts go missing, the situation threatens to break his career. Whether or not he finds a way out of this situation is what the film is about.

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